Unsolved Identity
by Schizzar
Summary: Sequel to Enslaved. Roxas and Axel thought they had left their problems behind but it seems that they won't let go. And finally, things about Demyx's true heritage will finally become clear. Yaoi, Yuri, violence. Lemons. Eventually. Rated M
1. Chapter 1

**Finally, the first chapter of the sequel arrives! I hope you all enjoy it! It will be mainly centered around Demyx and Xigbar but don't worry, there will be other pairings scattered in, yaoi and yuri, with a few special characters. :D I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Reviews are loved. **

Roxas laid in the dark, staring up into the darkness of the room he shared with Axel. They had hoped to never deal with the outside world again but...Xigbar and Demyx had arrived two days ago with the results of the war they had fled from. Audoro had dominated Nilan with the death of Nilan's King and the loss of the Organization that had leant their strength.

And now they were headed here. Roxas was unsure of how Audoro had discovered the secret haven for the Nekos but wondering about it wouldn't help; they had to prepare for war.

Thankfully, the Neko society hadn't panicked. To be honest, Roxas was sure they had been waiting for the day to come. All they asked of Roxas was to make more of the weapons so they could have an advantage over the Audoro army.

"Roxas?" Axel mumbled. "You awake?"

"Yeah."

Axel shifted beside him and moved so he was above him, looking him in the eye in the darkness. "Is it because of Audoro?"

Roxas nodded, finding Axel's glowing green eyes a comforting feature in the suppressing dark. "We shouldn't have run away."  
"What do you mean?" Axel asked.

"We should've dealt with Audoro before. Now we have endangered your people," Roxas whispered, expression pained. "I'm sorry."

"Roxas, we are only a few people. There is no way we could have taken them down alone. I can guess that none of my people blame you for Audoro coming here. Plus, they are a problem anyways and I'm sure my people would love to fight them and give them a piece of what we've endured."

"I just wish problems stopped following me," Roxas muttered.  
Axel nuzzled his neck softly. "We'll be okay, I promise."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

"You aren't looking too good," Xigbar said, frowning when Demyx swayed once he stood.

The blond merman was pale and sweating, eyes half visible under his drooped eyelids. "I don't feel so good either."

They had arrived in the city of Haven, the Neko city, three days earlier which meant Demyx, who was a creature of water, had been in a desert city for three days. Sure there water but there was no where for Demyx to immerse himself completely in the cool liquid.

"Should we travel back to the ocean? I'll get us there and back before anyone notices we're gone," Xigbar told him, rubbing a black gloved hand against the blond's cheek.  
"I guess."

His knees buckled and Xigbar barely caught him in time.

"Dem, you still with me?" Xigbar was used to this situation by now so he knew not to panic. It happened enough when the pair ended up on land for a few days longer than they expected. "Dem?"

"Yeah, hurry up," Demyx panted, voice soft.

Xigbar drew a knife and with a flash of bright purple light, they vanished.

Demyx sucked in a deep breath, feeling the moisture of the ocean in the air as it filled his lungs. The headache that had been plaguing him since yesterday evening was beginning to go away just from being _near_ the ocean. Xigbar set him down so the ocean water lapped at his toes.

"I'll wait here," Xigbar said as he helped Demyx out of his cloak.

Demyx leaned up to gently peck him on the cheek before diving into the water, disappearing beneath the foam. Xigbar sat on the shore, watching Demyx flick in and out of sight among the waves, and thinking hard. The Audorans were a weeks travel away so they had seven days the Haven for war. If it were a city of humans, this task would've been virtually impossible. But these weren't humans; they were Nekos. They had been waiting for this day and they had trained with their claws and swords, covering as many types of fighting styles as they could in preparation.

"Hey Xigbar!" Demyx called, his head bobbing up and down amongst the waves. "I think I've found something interesting. Wanna come see?"

"Um, Dem. I can't breathe underwater."

Demyx swam closer so he didn't have to shout as loud. "I have a trick. It _should_ work."

"No offense, Demyx, but I'm not willing to risk my life on a trick that may or may not work," Xigbar told him, smiling a little.

Demyx pouted at him but relented. "Alright. This should be enough to keep me for awhile."

Xigbar felt a little guilty for spoiling Demyx's fun as he helped him into his cloak so to make up for it, he pulled him close and kissed him gently, running his hands over his back in a soothing manner.

"Sorry Demyx. Just not in the mood to risk my life today," he said, humor in his voice.

"No, I understand," Demyx told him, resting his head on the older's chest. "Everyone's tense and worried and I understand that. I just wanted to help you loosen up."

"You always know how to lay on the guilt," Xigbar grumbled, mock glaring at him with his golden eye.

Demyx chuckled. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. Ready to go back?"

Demyx nodded into his chest before looking up at him. "Tidus and Auron are probably freaking out trying to find us."

Tidus and Auron were the 'generals' of the Neko army and had been working with him and Demyx on the best course of action. They wanted to know as much as possible about the Audorans army as well as how they fought and their life style.

"I'll let you handle them. I have to go get Larxene and Tifa."

"Are you getting Zack and Cloud too?" Demyx asked, looking like an eager child at the thought of his surrogate parents joining them.

"Only if they want to," Xigbar said. "But knowing them, they'll want to come protect their _baby_."

"I'm not a baby!" Demyx protested. "I don't know why people treat me that way!"

Xigbar chuckled. "Sorry, Dem. We can't help that you look so innocent. Now let's go."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

"Roxy!"

Roxas closed his eyes, wishing he could shield his ears off from the female Neko's rather obnoxiously loud voice.

"Yes, Rikku?" Roxas turned away from the heat and stepped out of the forge, into the slightly milder heat.

The young Neko that stood before him was tanned with a mass of blond hair on top of her head, barely organized into a myriad of small braids. Her eyes were a bright green, much like Axel's, but her pupils were different. A small black dot swirled outwards before ending just outside the iris. Well toned abdomen muscles were displayed for she only wore a strip of yellow cloth over her chest and a small green skirt that didn't leave much to the imagination.

"Paine wants the next batch of weapons you have," Rikku told him.

Roxas turned away, nodding as he did so. While the girl was an annoyance to his existence ever since he had arrived, he couldn't deny her strength physically or mentally. She was able to lift a box of the weapons with one arm, no problem, and after what she had gone through, Roxas wasn't sure he had ever met such a resilient person, mentally. But that was a different story completely.

The women she spoke of, Paine, worked as the weapon maker for the Neko society before Roxas had arrived and was quite skilled in her work, though she had never seen anything like Roxas had made.

He dragged the box of freshly made weapons out and Rikku hefted it up onto one shoulder. "Tell her that's the last batch for two days. Also, I need to know how many more she needs."

"Okay Roxy!" she called, waving at him before walking off.

Weary from all the work, Roxas sat down on one of the chairs, wiping sweat from his forehead. He had been working since the crack of dawn trying to get the magically imbued weapons for when Audoro landed and attacked, and the work left him feeling drained.

"Roxas!"

"What?" Roxas snapped, whirling to face whoever was bugging him now.

Sora recoiled quickly, blue eyes startled, then concerned. "Day not going so well?"

"Sorry for snapping at you," Roxas sighed. "But yeah. I'm just...tired."

"Then you should come get some lunch with me," Sora said. "Take a break and all that. Besides, we haven't had a chance to talk lately, what with all the preparations."

"Yeah...that's a good idea," Roxas said, standing up. "Where to?"

"My house is good. Kairi said she was making some fresh rolls."

"That sounds delicious right about now," Roxas admitted as he and Sora began making there way in that general direction. "It still amazes me how well they manage just on what Luxord brings them every two weeks. It amazes me that the stupid bastard is willing to do it."

Sora frowned. "You shouldn't talk about him like that."

Roxas rolled his eyes. "Whatever. It's still amazing that he's willing to bring them wheat and grains and...well everything they need to survive."

"Well one day, once they are able to live in peace with other nations, they'll be able to trade with other nations," Sora said, voice happy.

His optimism cheered Roxas up a little. They arrived at the house Sora, Riku, and Kairi shared together, a one story five room house with plenty of space and open windows. The smell of freshly made bread wafted out of the windows and Roxas heard his stomach growl eagerly at the prospect of food.

"Hi Kairi!" the brunet cried. "We come for food!"

"So go sit in the living room, I'll bring it out in a second!" she called back.

Obediently, the two men did so.

"So how are you adjusting?" Roxas asked. "Being with Riku and all."

"Oh we're getting a long better, now that he's finally working past his prejudices," Sora said. "Though it scares me a little how eager he is to fight. He...gets like that sometimes."

"Gets like what?" Roxas asked, curious.

Sora frowned. "Well he...he seems so..."

"Food's ready!" Kairi announced.

Sora brightened immediately and settled right into the food, abandoning the topic for another day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Finally the second chapter is here. I do apologize for the shortness but the events of what happens next I wanted all in one chapter. ^^ Hopefully that chapter will be updated soon, seeing as how I have it planned out. I don't own Kingdom Hearts and reviews are loved. ^^**

Demyx rubbed his temples and resisted the urge to yawn. Axel met his eyes across the table and smirked, a silent signal that the Neko felt his pain. It was an hour since Xigbar had left, which meant he and Axel had been sitting in the meeting discussing war tactics for 60 painstaking minutes.

"Demyx, your enthusiasm is much too great, please try and calm yourself," Auron said dryly from across the table.

Demyx jolted up and right and met the scarred man's gaze. The older, gray haired Neko was glaring at him over his small sunglasses and Demyx had to stop himself from cowering under it.

"Sorry, sir," he mumbled, eyes downcast.

"Maybe you don't care about this, but we do," Auron growled.

"I do care!" Demyx protested.

"It doesn't seem like it."

"Auron, take it easy. Everyone is stressed right now," another voice broke in.

Demyx looked at the woman who was defending him, grateful that he wouldn't have to stand up to Auron all by himself. The women had short silver hair with crimson eyes, but despite her hair color, her ears and tail were jet black. Regardless of the heat, she always wore black leather clothes, all parted along the side and held together by strips of red cloth. Demyx found it odd that such a practical women as herself would dress in such an impractical way.

"You don't realize, Paine, how-"

"Auron, let us call a five minute break," Pain interrupted, tone demanding. "Five minutes are going to kill us."

"I agree!" Tidus said, a blond of only fifteen, his voice so enthusiastic that it betrayed his own restlessness.

"Fine, go on," Auron growled, turning away.

Resisting the urge to sigh in relief, Demyx stood and left the cramped meeting room. The War Council, as they had started to call themselves, consisted of seven people; Auron, the leader of the city, Lulu, the head of the small business Guilds, Paine was the weapons trainer, Tidus and Leon were her assistants and the remaining two members were himself and Axel.

"Hey Demyx! Wait up!"

Demyx halted his progression down the hallway and waited for Tidus to catch up. The blond youth looked excited to be out of the meeting, blue eyes bright. Despite his age, Tidus was covered in lithe muscle, the build of his body making him seem older than what he really was.

"What do you need?" Demyx asked.

"Oh, just wanted someone to walk with in this oh so cheery building," Tidus said, smiling easily at him.

"I really don't know why Auron has this place so closed off. It's so hot without any windows," Demyx complained.

"Auron's really paranoid. He doesn't want to take any chances with people listening in on his plans, in case anyone wants to rebel against him," Tidus said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Uh, wow," Demyx muttered. "That's...really weird. Ack!"

Demyx jolted forward as he was tackled abruptly from behind and Tidus whirled immediately to defend him. Instead, he saw that the blond was now embracing a brunet women tightly, so tight in fact that it appeared they would need some means of magical assistance to pull them away from one another.

"Um, Demyx?"

Demyx pulled away quickly. "Oh, Tidus, this is Tifa. She's...kind of like my mother," Demyx said.

"So does that make me the same?"

Tidus turned towards the new voice to see a women with short blond hair striding towards them. Arrogance radiated off of her, shoulder's back, head tilted up, and he scrambled out of her way so she could reach Demyx uninterrupted.

"Sure," Demyx said, shrugging once before pulling her into a hug. "I missed you both."

"And we missed you," Tifa said, smiling warmly. "Tidus, this is Larxene. We're both friends of Demyx."

"Are Zack and Cloud coming?" Demyx asked as he stepped away from Larxene.

"Later. They're finishing up somethings in case they can't return for awhile," Tifa said.

"Forgive me, for this might seem rude, but how...strong are those two?" Tidus asked. "I mean, Demyx claims that they're strong and I just...am curious."

"Now this might seem like an exaggeration, but I promise you it is the truth," Tifa started. "The two of them beat an army of 350 men. They will be a great asset to your army, and they are both loyal to a good cause."

Tidus openly gaped. "Really? Two guys? How is that possible?"

"Great will and determination," Larxene said. "Those two are unstoppable together."  
"Hm...I'll believe it when I see it," Tidus said. "Anyways, Demyx. We should get back before Auron has a stroke or something. Nice meeting you!"

Demyx hugged the two women quickly and waited until Tidus was out of ear shot. "So you two are...doing well together then?"

"Yes," Tifa said.

"Couldn't say it in front of your new friend?" Larxene said with a smirk.  
Demyx flushed. "Well I didn't know if you guys wanted it all out in the open, I was only respecting your privacy," he mumbled.

"And we appreciate it. We'll wait here for Xigbar and the others, okay Demyx? Don't worry about us, I'm sure Xigbar can take care of us," Tifa told him.

"Okay! I'll see you soon," he said and then quickly followed after Tidus.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

"So, I'm curious," Xigbar said. "What is it that you wanted to show me?"

Demyx looked up from changing into his bed clothes. "Huh?"

"When I took you to the ocean. What was it that you wanted me to see?" Xigbar asked. "You got me interested and I haven't been able to keep my mind off of it."

"Oh, it was probably nothing. It was kind of off in the distance and I couldn't see really well. It looked sort of like a sunken ship or something but it was a little dark to see. There was a spiral coming up over a cliff edge and I thought maybe it was the mast of a ship but I didn't really want to go that deep," Demyx said. "At least not alone."

"Hm."

"What is it?" Demyx asked. Xigbar's curiosity was surprising and he didn't know how to react to the odd expression on the man's face.

"I just feel like maybe I should've tried that tactic of yours. Something about it just doesn't sit right about it," Xigbar said. "Oh well. It doesn't matter."

"If you want to look at it, we can. Or I can. You don't have to go with me," Demyx told him with a shrug.

"No, it's fine. What happened in the meeting?" Xigbar asked, moving to a different topic so Demyx couldn't try and bring it up again.

"Oh, we just sorted out a way to cause some damage before they get here. I'm going out tomorrow morning to sink as many as I can," Demyx told him. "We know where they'll be by now, roughly, seeing as how it was us that saw them in the first place. If I travel fast it will only take me a few hours to reach them."

Xigbar's golden eye looked weary. "I don't know how I feel about that."

Demyx stepped over to him, wrapping his arms around his waist and kissing his lips lightly. "I'll be fine. You know I'll retreat if I think I'm in over my head."  
"Take one of my knives with you. You'll at least do that, yes?"

"Of course. Now I need to sleep so come to bed," Demyx said, slipping away and under the covers.

Xigbar stripped out of his cloak and moved onto the bed beside his lover, pulling him close and drifting to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well this took way longer than expected. For those waiting for an update on Third Journey, it is coming. 8D Um, some serious OOCness in here from several new characters. ^^' I don't own Kingdom Hearts, reviews are loved!**

Demyx shrugged out of his cloak, shivering s the cold sea breeze slipped over his skin. Xigbar stood beside him, spinning his knives absentmindedly as he waited for Demyx to get himself situated, his quick movements being due to his unspoken anxiety.

"Don't worry!" Demyx called over his shoulder. "I'll be fine this time. I'm more wary than I used to be. I'll get out if I feel weird." Demyx walked towards him and gently took his face in his hands. "Have a little faith. I'll run at the first sign of trouble. You hold things down here and develop more plans."

Xigbar kissed him quickly and then mussed his hair. "Hurry back, and take this with you."

One of the man's knives was forced into the blond's hand and he accepted it without question. Then with a smile, he turned and dove into the surf. As the cold water slid over his head, his body warmed. He wasn't sure why, but when he was in his merman form, the water only ever felt warm. That was definitely a handy thing about his body. With a powerful flick of his tail he was off, shooting through the water towards his destination.

But as he swam, he grew more and more nervous. There was no sound, and no sign of life; no fish, no calls that were normally soundless to humans but clear to him...nothing. Slowly, he brought himself to a halt and gazed around, doing a full 360 degree turn. Nothing. Nothing but deep blue water and deep black depths.

_Should I turn back? _he thought. _This is more than a hint of danger. Something is obviously wrong here. _

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed him, literally, in his lower back. He whirled on instinct, lashing out with his tail, only to miss and be blind sided by his enemy. The smack of a think fin sent him careening through the water, screwing up his sense of direction completely. Before he could recover, he was smacked again, the force of the blow sending him into a hard and rough surface, scraping up his back. Had he actually fallen all the way to the bottom of the ocean already?

"Wait! Stop! Don't you recognize him?"

Demyx's eyes fluttered and he saw two shapes speeding towards him. _That voice...I know it...but I-_

_  
_"Ariel, it can't possibly-"

"Look at him Zidane! Look!"

Silence. Why couldn't he focus his eyesight? The two shapes remained blurred smudges of color, diligently refusing to focus no matter how hard he tried.

"But how is it possible..."

"Well maybe we would know if you hadn't beat him up so bad." The girl's voice was cross.

"Hey-"

Strong arms enveloped him comfortingly, cool lips pressing to his. "Oh my beloved. There's hope for us yet."

_Beloved? Ariel...oh yes...the princess...my soon to be wife. How...how could I forget?_

__

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

He woke slowly, awareness of the world coming to him in fragmented pieces. His body had reverted back to human and the bed he was lying in was warm and dry; quite a puzzling observation. Last he remembered hew as passing out in an ocean, so it didn't make much sense. The first time he tried to open his eyes, the light assaulted his senses so harshly he was forced to close them again, groaning as his head began to throb as a result.

"Oh? You're awake," came an unfamiliar female voice.

"It seems so," he mumbled, keeping his eyes shut to avoid putting himself in more pain. "Where am I?"

"The Palace of Atlantica. Don't...don't you remember who you are?"

"I know my name is Demyx. And...more recently that I was supposed to have married a princess."

The women laughed. "Oh she's queen now. She needed to ascend the throne without you. Your...do you remember you father?"

"I told you all I remember. That's it," Demyx said. "Now answer my questions. Who are you?"

"My name is Terra. I'm Ariel's cousin. Do you remember her?"

"She was the princess."

"Mmhm. And you were the prince. That was 17 years ago. Does that bring back anymore memories?"

Demyx thought hard, trying to remember _anything_ from his past life, rolling around the words Terra had said in his head. The result...was nothing.

"No. I'm sorry. Will you let me go?"

"Don't be silly. Now that you're back, you have to marry Ariel and rule your kingdom," Terra said, voice quite firm and no longer so gentle.

"But I have a life! And I have friends that need me to protect them! And I'm currently in a relationship. With a guy!"

"Oh dear. That is problematic. I will go get Ariel and we will talk. Just rest your eyes for a minute so you can actually speak with her face to face." Demyx heard her stand and then _walk _out the door.

_So we're merpeople but...they live in a dry area. This is strange. _

Tentatively, he tried to open his eyes again. It didn't burn as much this time, and it was at that moment, he became aware of the dull ache in his side. Slowly, he turned onto his good side so he wasn't staring directly into the light, which helped with the pain in his eyes.

To be honest, he was regretting everything he had done. Now, he was trapped here with his own kind, a new identity, an army closing in on his loved ones, and he wasn't able to do a thing about it. Never in his life that he remembered could he think of a time being so useless. There was no chance of escape; the merman that had attacked him had been strong and he was in no shape to take on more than one of him. He didn't doubt that he would have to fight his way to freedom, and if he tried against so many, he would most likely die. Not most likely. Definitely.

"Demyx?"

The door to the room opened and in walked a tall woman, long red hair twisting down her back in flaming waves. Her face was heart shaped and to be honest, she would be quite beautiful if he was actually into girls. Her bright green eyes matched her shimmering emerald dress, which hugged her form like a second skin.

"Do you remember me?" she asked, drifting over the cool tile with dainty steps.

"Your voice is all," Demyx told her. "And that you're a Queen."

"That's a good start. And Terra told you that you are the prince so we obviously must marry," Ariel said, sitting down in the chair that had probably been used by Terra before hand.

"I won't." Demyx sat up, though it pained him to do so. "i have a lover. We are as close to being married as we can be, if the marriage of two men was accepted and we had time to do so."

Ariel's delicate features turned to disgust in a heartbeat. "I had hoped my ears were deceiving me when Terra had told me of this. Apparently, they hadn't."

"It's true," Demyx said, somehow finding the courage to stare the overbearing women in the eyes. "I don't remember anything you have told me. I have memories of what has happened since that time I woke up on a distant shore and in that time, I have fallen deeply in love."

"Well...that doesn't matter to me, nor this nation. This is your kingdom, whether you like it or not, accept it or not. Remember it or not. You will not leave!" she hissed, anger making the air in the room tense.

"A country will die if I do not go now! Does that not matter to you?"

Ariel laughed, a cruel sound. "Of course I don't! Atlantica is not afflicted with the problems of the countries on land so why would I care?"

"I hope I never loved you," Demyx hissed. "You're a despicable creature."

"Then enjoy rotting in a dungeon!"

With that, she turned and stormed out the door, slamming it in the process.

Demyx collapsed on the bed, his rising anger dying away and with it, his determination to sit back up and endure the pain. _Xigbar. Save me. I've met my people and I don't want my past life!_ With this thought, came the realization that he could escape, if he could find where Xigbar's knife was. This was a dry area after all, so Xigbar wouldn't drown if he transported him here. Filled with a new found hope, he pushed himself up again, wincing all the while. Who knew how long he would have before Ariel returned with her guards?"

As if on cue, the door banged open and in strode...a boy of fifteen, or so it appeared, and that wasn't saying much. He shut the door, and then looked at Demyx. His hair was a dark blond, most of which was pulled back in a ponytail though a few stray hairs framed his angular face and sharp blue eyes. His arms were bare due to the white tank top and deep blue vest he wore, and the tight matching pants didn't leave much for imagination.

"We don't have much time, I'll help you get free," he said quickly.

"W-What?"

"No questions. Now get up, I can heal your injuries long enough for you to swim," he instructed.

"I won't need to. If you give me the knife, I can escape," Demyx told him.

"It's right there." The boy pointed to the desk and there lay Xigbar's knife. Demyx was so happy he could have sung, but instead he snatched it up and with a flick of his wrist, tossed it into the air.

It flashed brightly for a second, and suddenly, there was Xigbar, looking angry and pissed, and definitely ready for battle. Upon seeing no one but Demyx and the other boy, he relaxed, a little, and turned to his lover.

"What is going on?"

"Um..." Demyx started. "I don't have time to explain right now. But we really need to go. Quickly."

Xigbar accepted that without question and grabbed his knives but before he could transport them, the other merman spoke.

"Take me with you. Please. I...I know who you are Demyx, I know what you are, I know why Ariel is angry and...I'm like you. You can't leave me here! They'll kill me when they found out you've escaped and that doesn't even compare to what they'll do to me if they discover I...am like you," he whispered, eyes frantic.

Xigbar held out a hand as he wrapped his other arm around Demyx. "Grab on kid, and don't let go. It's always hard the first one."

He stared at the outstretched hand before gently placing his own in the firm grasp. Xigbar pulled him tightly to him and then with a flash, they were gone, and just in time. As soon as they were gone, Ariel stormed in once more only to see an empty room, devoid of a prince and a guard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this chapter is a little on the short side. ^^' But I needed to end it there because I wanted the next few events to happen all in one chapter, which means while this chapter is short, the next one will be long! Well anyways, I don't own Kingdom Hearts and reviews are loved! 8D**

"So...want to explain what the hell just happened?"

Demyx almost flinched at Xigbar's harsh words and cruel tone but he held his ground...metaphorically anyways. Almost as soon as they had arrived, he had collapsed on the ground, whimpering in pain in a most pathetic manner. Once he had been situated though, the tongue lashing began.

"Remember the place I wanted to show you? It...it's where my people are," Demyx began. "They knew who I was but when they learned who I had become, they wanted to get rid of me."

Xigbar's anger bled away as he realized how emotionally wounded his lover undoubtedly was. To learn who you were, only to have people scorn you...it was a pain he would not want the gentle blond to experience. No doubt that Demyx was hurting from it, he just wasn't going to show it in front of the stranger.

"I...can explain more. But for now, understand that my people hate those who love their own gender, making me and him," he gestured towards the boy. "Disgusting."

"What about the ships then?" Xigbar asked.

"Don't send me out again. I don't want to end up there," Demyx said.

"The kingdom is relatively small. I could guide you around it," the boy spoke up.

"Which reminds me. Just who _are_ you?" Xigbar asked, turning his golden gaze towards the boy.

"I am Zidane. I am Demyx's cousin," he said quietly. "Not that he remembers. I can suggest a few courses of action if you give me the bare bones of the situation."

Demyx glanced at Xigbar, unsure if it would be safe to tell Zidane. Sure, he claimed a relation, but there was no way for them to verify his words for true, so could they really trust him? Xigbar shrugged finally and then spoke.

"We'll take you to see the War Council. They will give you the information you need, and it's better if we don't make any decisions without their input. It is their country after all," Xigbar said, glancing back at his blond lover. "I think that sounds about fair."

Demyx nodded, a look of relief flitting over his face. "Yes, that's great. Let's go then."

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

_Damn Auron and his emergency meetings,_ Axel thought, stepping through the doors and into the meeting room. _It probably isn't even an emergency, just him being paranoid again. Or...not?_ He was the fourth person to arrive, the first three being Auron himself, Demyx, Xigbar, and someone that Axel didn't recognize. The newcomer was a boy, who strangely looked quite a lot like Demyx and appeared to be a year younger, maybe more.

"And who is this?" Leon asked, grabbing a seat and sitting down, examining the boy.

"Uh, we'll explain more when everyone gets here," Demyx mumbled.

One by one, the council trickled in, and almost every pair of eyes was immediately glued to the newcomer out of curiosity and Axel almost pitied the boy. He knew just how uncomfortable one could get under so many stares, meant to be unnerving or not.

"Alright then Demyx, please explain," Auron ordered, sitting down and fixing him with a cool look.

"Well, I went out to sink those ships as you ordered but...it seems that my kind have a kingdom right off the shore," Demyx began.

_Oh? So Demyx found his kingdom. That has to be a relief, _Axel thought, smiling a little.

"They were...quite hostile and do not have a care for our affairs and I um..."

"In a nutshell, turns out Demyx is the prince of this nation, their queen wants him to marry her, and this boy here is his cousin," Xigbar finished quickly, obviously detecting Demyx's reluctance.

"So marry her," Auron said. "Then they'll have to care about us and we can use their army."

"I can't do that!" Demyx interrupted.

"If I may," the boy said. "I have some insight to give you, if you would just explain a little bit about what your situation is. Demyx...is wary of my claim of being his cousin, which makes sense given that he has no memory of me. However, I would like for you to trust me so I can try and help."

"And why aren't you as hostile as the rest of the nation?" Lulu spoke up, turning all eyes onto her. The black haired Neko was a fierce woman and her violet gaze was challenging, an obvious sign that she was _very_ skeptical. "Do you not like your nation?"

"Well," he started. "It's a bit of a personal manner but they do not like the fact that I prefer to take partners of my own gender. This obviously rubbed them the wrong way when they learned that Demyx is the same way, which would explain his distaste in marrying Queen Ariel."

"Feelings shouldn't come into the matter with this. If it will win us the war, he should do it," Auron said firmly.

"That isn't fair," Axel objected.

"If I may, again," the boy interrupted. "If you could explain the situation, I can offer some solutions!"

"Alright," Paine spoke up. "Here's the situation. There's a powerful country that's coming here to commit a genocide and wipe all of us out simply because of our race. Obviously, the majority of us aren't humans, most of us are Nekos. We sent Demyx out to sink as many of their ships as he could without getting himself killed. We are one city, barely a nation. We cannot fight an army by ourselves. At least not easily."

"Okay, thank you Miss..."

"Paine."

"Miss Paine. Now...Queen Ariel would accept a marriage proposal from Demyx, it is just how she is. She's a vain women who would love to have the Prince at her side. Queen Ariel is not queen by blood but you are Prince by blood so if you were to marry, you would gain all power of the throne," he said. "Marry her, gain control, and then you can kill her. Of course, then you would have a civil war on your hands."

"Well this is a delicate situation indeed," Lulu said softly. "We can't afford to act rashly here. If we do that, and start a civil war, that creates too much tension, and we could be swept in. If we leave them be and pretend this never happened...what then?"

"Ariel would declare war on you anyways and try and capture Demyx by force," he sighed.

"And if he marries and _stays_ that way?" Auron asked.

"Then you get your army, you get your peace, and an extremely unhappy Demyx," he finished. "I...would advise a combination of two of them. Marry her, gain control, fight your war, and...divorce her. If you don't kill her, you won't have a civil war. Yes, you will have many assassination attempts, a few revolts but...I highly doubt it would escalate into a full blown civil war."

_Dammit. None of these solutions are good for Demyx. I hate this whole situation, _Axel thought. "Well, what are you comfortable with Demyx?"

"Frankly, I would love to just kill her," Demyx said, his words surprising all of them. "But...we can't do that. So...I will marry her and divorce her, if...that is the will of the council."

Axel felt his heart go into his throat as he looked at the blond and his lover. Xigbar didn't look too surprised, perhaps he had known it was likely to go that way; he had known his lover would sacrifice everything if it meant there could be peace for his friends.

"This isn't your country Demyx," Tidus spoke up, voice soft. "You...don't have to do this. We can find another way."

"It may not be my country but I feel like it is. All of those I consider my family live here. Larxene, Tifa, Cloud...Zack, even you Auron! I care about all of you and if this is the only way I can help then I'll do it," Demyx said firmly, looking up and meeting every single gaze. "So if that is your will, I...can do this."

"All in favor?" Auron asked.

Axel and Tidus were the only ones who weren't and so...the meeting was concluded, and Demyx's fate was sealed.

(INSERTBREAKHERE)

"She is misbehaving again, sir."

"Oh Sephy, don't tell me these things. Just go take care of it."

"Don't call me that."

"...Fine. Just go take care of her. But be gentle. Remember how valuable she is."

"Of course, sir."

"Ha. She's so spirited. Who would have guessed? Perhaps I'll join you; it could be amusing after all."

"I thought you said you wanted us to be gentle with her? Sir."

"Oh, I won't break here! Come along then!"

"...Yes sir."


End file.
